Super-quick asthma tests now available at all Lewisham GP Surgeries | News

The end for long waits for an asthma diagnosis is in sight for Lewisham patients, thanks to a pioneering programme that has enabled effective, quick, and easy tests to be carried out at GP surgeries across the borough. Lewisham is the first in London to offer this innovation in asthma diagnosis through primary care.

Funded by Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust (LGT) in partnership with the Lewisham Integrated Care board, every GP surgery in Lewisham now has a FeNO testing device on site that will allow most people to be diagnosed with asthma in minutes. Available to all patients over the age of 5, the FeNO test simply requires patients to breathe into a tube for an instant analysis of their breath. 

It works by measuring the amount of nitric oxide present in exhaled breath. If it is above a certain level, then inflammation typical of most kinds of asthma is present and most patients can be given a confirmed diagnosis of asthma, leaving their appointment with the right treatment plan. 

This a marked improvement on the previous patient journey to diagnosis which involved waiting for a hospital appointment, followed by complicated and sometimes challenging breathing tests before any certainty on asthma could be established. 

Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust’s Consultant Respiratory Physician, Dr Tom Simpson, said: “Asthma is incredibly common, but getting a firm diagnosis hasn’t always been quick or straightforward. FeNO changes that; it’s such a simple and quick test and gives us essential information about what is happening in someone’s lungs and airways.

“Providing FeNO testing machines for every GP in Lewisham is a major breakthrough on our journey to improve diagnostic capacity in our local health system, support our primary care partners with speedy decision making and treatment, and most importantly drive equity for patients who may be struggling with symptoms. Knowing you have asthma is the first step towards being correctly treated - it is so important that people can get tested quickly in their own community.”

Don’t ignore the four - Find out with FeNO!

To drive patient awareness around the new FeNO tests, this half-term LGT is launching a new campaign in partnership with Lewisham Primary Care and Lewisham Council that highlights the common symptoms that people may not recognise as being asthma indicators. 

Don’t Ignore the Four draws attention to tight chests, nighttime coughing, breathless or wheezing, all of which by themselves or in any combination, could be signs of asthma.  Patients experiencing these symptoms are encouraged to book an appointment at their GP surgery and ask for a FeNO test as soon as possible. 

The appointment could be with a GP or a nurse - both of whom are trained to carry our FeNO tests. 

Starting from Monday 26 October, Don’t Ignore the Four posters will be sent to all GP surgeries and Pharmacies across Lewisham Borough with plans to extend this to schools and other locations over the coming months. The posters carry the clear message these four symptoms could be asthma and ask patients to take action to find out. 

Lewisham Council will be supporting the campaign by carrying the message across their outdoor advertising spaces including bus stops and refuge trucks. 

What’s more residents can find out if they have asthma right at the heart of their community, with Find out with FeNO pop-up testing taking place at Lewisham Shopping Centre between 10am and 2pm on Wednesday 28 October and Thursday 29 October. LGT clinicians, GPs and nurses will be on hand to carry out FeNO testing for shoppers and share more information on the next steps towards treatment. On Wednesday there will also be chance to meet local Lewisham Councillor, Samamtha Gardiner who is a firm supporter of the campaign. 

Cllr Samantha Gardiner, Cabinet Member for Health and Social Care, said: “This is fantastic news for Lewisham. Asthma can have a huge impact on people’s lives, so making a quick and simple test available through our local GP surgeries should make it much easier for residents to find out whether asthma could be behind their symptoms.

“I’ve tried the test myself and it really is straightforward - and can be quite fun for children especially.  If you or your child are experiencing breathlessness, wheezing, a tight chest or coughing at night, please don’t ignore the four. Speak to your GP practice and ask about a FeNO test.”

Cllr Gardiner herself recently took a FeNO test at the Novum Health Partnership, Rushey Green site.

NHS colleagues working in General Practice welcome the opportunity to be able to test in the community, as Jane Dolega-Ossowski, Lead Practice Nurse at Novum, explains: “FeNO is a fantastic addition to what we can offer our patients concerned about asthma in primary care. The test itself is quick and easy to perform, and having the equipment here in the surgery means we can get to a diagnosis during our appointments rather than having to refer patients into the hospital for tests and diagnosis. Asthma is so treatable once you have a diagnosis and these tests will really help to change the lives of patients struggling with respiratory issues.” 

LGT’s Dr Tom Simpson added: “FeNO tests can also help us to ensure that patients who have previously been diagnosed with asthma are on the right treatment plan for them. Many are not and this can lead to complications further down the line. We’d encourage anyone who is concerned about symptoms or worried that their current treatment isn’t keeping their asthma under control to make an appointment with their GP practice to Find out with FeNO.”

Pre-FeNO Lewisham asthma fact file 

• Lewisham has high levels of undiagnosed asthma. Around 5.0% of Lewisham residents have a confirmed diagnosis which is significantly below the national expected rate of 7.1%. This indicates a potentially large undiagnosed population

• LGT only has capacity to diagnosis between 50-100 cases of asthma each month. Having FeNO tests in GP surgeries increases the diagnostic potential to between 350-400 per month

• Lewisham residents have typically waited a long time for a formal diagnosis of asthma - up to 8months on average.

• Despite FeNO testing being available from the age of 5 upwards, lack of diagnostic capacity meant that there was no provision for 5-16 years to be tested via FeNO